Natsuyoi (Summer Night) Neo Mask – Ultraman –

Pouring that summer's exhilaration into clay, now

The bustle of a summer festival and that heart-pounding atmosphere.
Among the character masks lined up at the street stalls, the one he had to have was the Ultraman mask. Begged for from his parents and finally obtained, that mask shone as if it were the real thing. Wearing it, he felt as though he truly had become Ultraman, striking a proud Specium Ray pose. Many photographs of him striking that pose remain at his family home.

Ultraman was, for me as a child, the very embodiment of admiration.

Decades later, now grown and working as a ceramicist, I began in 2015 to present a series taking as its motif the "clay masks" used in Jōmon-era rituals and festivals.

And Then, 2025.
In this milestone tenth year, he poured the aspirations of that time into the work in a new form.
He created a “clay mask” inspired by Ultraman.

The dreams and excitement I felt as a child.
As an adult, he seriously channeled the heat and exhilaration of that summer into clay.

This is entirely made to order. Pieces will be delivered progressively by the end of December 2025. Payment will be processed on the credit card you provide at the time of delivery.